US2931550A - Receptacle for litter - Google Patents

Description

April 5, 1960 woo 2,931,550

RECEPTACLE FOR LITTER Filed Feb. 10. 1958 INVEN TOR.

James M Wood RECEPTACLE FOR LITTER James M. Wood, Pasadena, Calif.

Application February 10, 1958, Serial No. 714,301

2 (llaims. (Cl. 224-4242) During recent years, civic pride has resulted in city and statewide campaigns to improve the appearance of streets and roads by eliminating the throwing out of litter by vehicle drivers. The provision of a simple, practical and convenient container for litter, to be kept in the car, is a primary object of this invention.

Another object of this invention is to provide a litter receptacle made out of one piece of sturdy material so that an unskilled person may assemble it.

A further object of this invention is to provide a rubbish receptacle that has a self-closing door to prevent the falling out of its contents when the door is opened.

The invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description. However, the drawing merely shows and the following description merely describes, one embodiment of the present invention, which is given by way of illustration or example only.

In the drawing, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

Fig. l is a perspective view of a conventional vehicle seat showing one embodiment of my invention installed thereunder.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of my improved litter receptacle. 7

Fig. 3 is a still further enlarged, vertical, longitudinal section, partly in elevation, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a broken, vertical transverse section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a reduced plan view of the blank from which the container is formed.

The invention that is illustrated includes a receptacle 6 made of one piece of sturdy fibre board, or any other material found suitable for the purpose. The container 6 comprises a bottom wall 7 of rectangular formation, upstanding side walls 8', 8a, 9 and 9a which taper rearwardly from the front to a narrow end wall 19, and a top wall 11 similar to bottom wall 7'. As shown in Fig. l, the receptacle for container 6 is arranged to fit in the space under a conventional vehicle seat which, as is known to those skilled in the art, slopes downward toward the rear.

A door 12 is formed of two panels 13 and 14, as best shown in Fig. 5. Said panels are folded one upon the other along a fold line 15 and fastened by staples 16, or other suitable means, to form a door of double thickness. Bottom wall 7 has an extension 17 to accommodate the extra thickness of panels 13 and 14. Panels 13 and 14 are made slightly longer than the width of the bottom wall 7 so as to cover the exposed front edges 18, 18a, 19, and 19a of side walls 8, 8a, 9 and 9a, respectively,

States Patent 2,931,550 Patented Apr. 5, 1960 See to give the receptacle a neat, finished appearance, as best shown in Fig. 2. Panel 14 is preferably slightly narrower than panel 13 so that panel 14 will not reach the bottom 7, when the door 12 is folded upwardly at line 20.

As shown in Fig. 3, the front edges 18 and 18a of the walls 8 and 8a are beveled to provide clearance for the door 12 in its closed position.

The blank shown in Fig. 5 illustrates how the container may be made of one piece of material. Rear wail 10 is folded normal to bottom wall 7 on fold line 25 and again folded at 26 so that top wall 11 may overlie said bottom wall. Next, inner side walls 8 and 8a are folded normal to bottom 7 and outer side walls 9 and 9a are folded normal to top wall 11 outside of walls 8 and 8a, and fastened together by staples 27, adjacent edges 18, 18a, 19 and 19a.

Side walls 8 and 9 are provided with apertures 28 and 28a and panels 13 and 14 are provided with apertures 29 and 30,

A clasp or button 31 is placed opposite apertures 28 and 28a, which are aligned when the receptacle is in a folded condition, and a hook 32 extending from said button 31 projects through said apertures 28 and 28a into the interior of receptacle 6. A button 33 on the outside of the door 12 is disposed opposite the apertures 29 and 30, which are aligned when the panels of door 12 are folded together. A hook 34 on the button 33 projects through the apertures 29 and 30 and into the container 6.

A spring, rubber band 35, or like article is connected from hook 32 to hook 34 to make the door self-closing.

While the foregoing specification illustrates and describes what I now contemplate to be the best mode of carrying out my invention, the construction is, of course, subject to modification without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. Therefore, I do not desire to restrict the invention to the particular form of construction illustrated and described, but desire to cover all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination in a vehicle, a seat, mounted with space thereunder, a litter receptacle movably disposed in said space, said receptacle comprising a bottom wall, upstanding side walls, a narrow end wall, atop wall taper- Iing upward from said end wall to an open end of height conforming to the under-seat space, and a door hinged below arranged to close said open end, said door having a portion extending above the top wall and contacting the front face of said vehicle seat to limit movement of the receptacle under the seat.

2. In combination in a vehicle, a seat mounted with space thereunder, a litter receptacle movably disposed in said space, said receptacle comprising a bottom wall, upstanding side walls, a narrow end wall, atop wall tapering upward from said end wall to an open end of height conforming to the under-seat space, a door hinged to the bottom wall at the front end thereof, said door having a portion extending above the top wall and a resilient fastener connected between the door and one of the receptacle walls maintaining the door upward and in contact with the front wall of said vehicle seat for limiting movement of the receptacle under the seat.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,216,071 Carstensen Feb. 13, 1917 1,669,139 Martin May 8, 1928 2,210,347 Story Aug. 6, 1940

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